Match Day Profile: Abel Malaguit De Castro

Every third Friday in March, fourth-year medical students across the United States learn where the next chapter in their careers will be written. Match Day is the day when the National Resident Matching Program releases results to applicants in sealed envelopes, revealing where they will spend the next several years in residency, training in their chosen specialty. After years of preparation and study, it is a long-awaited and well-deserved day to celebrate. The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix is profiling several students for Match Day 2023.

Meet Abel Malaguit De Castro

Abel Malaguit De Castro was born and raised in Southern California. His parents, who are first-generation immigrants from Batangas, Philippines, always pushed him to be his best and not waste opportunities.

De Castro’s father came from a low-income family, and he taught his son to never take for granted every blessing. De Castro spent his formative years living in Arcadia, California, and studied biology at Azusa Pacific University.

De Castro credits his family as his greatest supporters and knows he would not be where he is today without his wife Hannah, mom, dad, sister and mother-in-law. They are the people whose shoulders he’s cried on, whose words encouraged him through the toughest times in medical school and whose guidance made him who he is.

Path Toward Medicine

What was the spark that led you to become a physician?

I grew up in a household where everyone was medically inclined, but the largest spark to become a physician comes from my faith. As a Christian, I see it as my calling to care for the marginalized, unhoused and often unloved.

I participated and led numerous medical and non-medical missions to Mexico and India during my undergraduate studies. Seeing how the impact of medicine was able to cross cultural lines was a beautiful thing to experience. I have always enjoyed the science behind medicine, but it was the celebration of humanity that medicine offers that helped me solidify my pursuit.

Choosing a Specialty

Do you have a specialty? What is it and why did it interest you, or what led you to it?

Med-Peds, baby! This is a four-year dual residency in internal medicine and pediatrics. I have always had two distinct sides to my personality – the cerebral and passionate nerd who can wax poetically about anything, and the goofy and lighthearted child who loves to laugh at anything. This duality within myself, along with the inability to choose between treating adults or kids, is what drew me to this specialty.

What’s Next

Post-Match Day, what are your goals moving forward?

I hope to be a combined hospitalist or intensivist of some sort with a large presence in both academics and caring for those experiencing homelessness wherever I work. I want to teach the next generations of doctors how important it is to reinstill dignity and humanity to our country’s most vulnerable patients.

The College of Medicine – Phoenix Culture

What will you miss most about the College of Medicine – Phoenix? Any advice for incoming medical students?

It sounds corny, but I am going to miss the culture and community here at the College of Medicine – Phoenix the most. The friendships I made with my classmates and the steadfast support from faculty allowed me to thrive while going through what was an extremely tough four years.

My advice for the incoming medical students is to take advantage of every resource you have while you are here! What you put in is what you get out. If you want to see change in your medical school, get involved in student government.

If you want to see change made in your state, find mentors who will guide you how to make legislative change. If you want to have a successful match into a difficult specialty, be tenacious and seek out guidance from day one. Do not be a balloon floating through life. Be an arrow — aimed toward a goal.